This season he has played 7 games for a total of 9 minutes. Now, I am a fan of his and think he may help in the future, but right now is there any reason we dont send him down to Erie and get him some playing time?

Somebody has to be at the end of the bench as an insurance policy against a game with multiple injuries at one position or mass-foul trouble. You can't head into a game without a full deck. Well, you can, teams hammered by injuries do it all the time. But it's not recommended.

I also tend to think that it's more beneficial for Green to stay with the NBA club and play against the big boys in practice, than to go down to the D-league and play against guys who probably aren't even as good as he is. Who is Green going to learn more from, LeBron James or some vagabond hoping for a Jamario Moon-type shot at the NBA that probably isn't coming?

It's not like baseball, where a guy needs to go down to AAA to get in his cuts and/or pitch counts. Basketball teams practice against each other constantly, usually starters vs. bench in scrimmages. Probably the best education available for someone like Green.